


Tip Toe Through The Tulips

by paper_planes



Category: Harry Potter - J. K. Rowling
Genre: F/M, First Kiss, Gardens & Gardening, Hogwarts Founders Era
Language: English
Status: Completed
Published: 2013-06-18
Updated: 2013-06-18
Packaged: 2017-12-15 08:18:39
Rating: General Audiences
Warnings: Creator Chose Not To Use Archive Warnings, No Archive Warnings Apply
Chapters: 1
Words: 612
Publisher: archiveofourown.org
Story URL: https://archiveofourown.org/works/847334
Author URL: https://archiveofourown.org/users/paper_planes/pseuds/paper_planes
Summary: <blockquote class="userstuff">
              <p>A walk through the Forbidden Forest yields some interesting results.</p>
            </blockquote>





	Tip Toe Through The Tulips

Salazar trudged across the castle grounds until he found himself deep in the midst of the Forbidden Forest. It wasn't his intent to come this far but lately it seemed, especially after many a spirited row with Godric, that his feet always brought him here- whether he was conscious of it or not. And even though the sun shone brightly everywhere else, the canopy of the forest obscured all but a few stray bits of light. Salazar smiled to himself, thinking that it seemed rather fitting to collect his thoughts in such a cheerless place.

However his gloomy reverie was broken, when Salazar heard a distant melodic humming. He weighed the odds of such glorious symphony belonging to something dangerous; deciding they were fairly slim, he went off in search of the source. Surprise stopped him in his tracks when he discovered that it was Helga, hard at work on her knees and up to her elbows in dirt, tending to a small and meager garden. He started towards her, watching with the strangest sensation of wonder as she moved diligently through her tasks; truly impressed with the amount of care she showed to each plant. Salazar found himself quite taken with the strength and surety her delicate hands possessed- in a constant state of motion but with efficient purpose that did nothing to mute the tender care Helga took with each seedling.

Drawing closer Salazar called out to Helga, but his attempts at capturing her attentions fell flat due to the pair of bright yellow ear muffs she was wearing. “Strange,” he thought, “We've had lovely weather all day.” It was only then that he noticed the potted plant next to her as mandrake. Knowing what it would mean for him if she dared to pull it from its container, he closed the distance between them in a few short leaps and grabbed her from behind, dragging her away until the mandrake was no longer in arms reach. Helga, thinking she'd somehow ended up in the clutches of a monster, began to elbow and scratch at the arms that were firmly clasped round her waist. Salazar dodged her blows as best he could until they were safely away from anything resembling a crying root baby, at which point he let her go. Helga spun around to face her attacker, ready to strike. With a mixture of shock and anger on her face and those yellow earmuffs still planted firmly on her head, Salazar thought Helga had never looked more adorable. He grinned broadly and held up his hands in mock surrender. Helga, now removing said earmuffs, admonished him: “What in the name of Merlin do you think you’re doing, Salazar?!”

“Calm yourself, Hufflepuff. I was simply trying to keep you from killing me." Watching a slight scowl form on her lips, Salazar gave in to his desire to poke the badger, "Of course I might have preferred the deadly screams of a mandrake root to that _dreadful_  tune you were humming.” He gave a playful laugh just as a blush crept onto Helga’s cheeks; whether it was due to fury or embarrassment didn't matter because she gave him a good hard push all the same. It caught Salazar off guard and he fell backwards onto the ground. Now it was Helga's turn to laugh. Never one to let people get the better of a Slytherin, Salazar reached for her hand and pulled her down to him, so close that their faces were almost touching. “We are even, milady.”

“On the contrary, sir” Helga whispered. Then she kissed him, almost as good and hard as she’d shoved him, “ _Now_ , we are even.”


End file.
